Omar slams Army for Gulmarg ‘land grab’, damaging highways

Omar’s outbursts are seen in the context of the Army’s stand on AFSPA, which he had promised to have revoked from some parts of the state “in a few days” last year. (PTI photo)

SRINAGAR: Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has cautioned the Army against extending boundaries of its High Altitude Warfare School in Gulmarg, saying it could lead to confrontation between "us and them" over the threat it poses to the world-famous scenic ski resort town in the state's Baramulla district.

"... the way it (Army) is spreading boundaries of the school...the day is not far when it would have to be either the Army or the state government in Gulmarg," Omar said after inaugurating a hotel in Gulmarg on Thursday. Omar's comments came a day after he criticized the Army for opposing the revocation of AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act) that gives sweeping powers to security forces and immunity from prosecution.

The CM partly blamed the Army for the deteriorating condition of the Srinagar-Gulmarg road, saying every summer his government repairs it and again it is in shambles a few months later. "I do not know whether the road deteriorates due to the heavy movement of Army vehicles using chains over wheels or the material used by the R&B department."

Omar's outbursts are seen in the context of the Army's stand on AFSPA, which he had promised to have revoked from some parts of the state "in a few days" last year. His failure to deliver on the promise has undermined his populist politics.

He had made the promise when the Valley was still seething with anger over the killing of around 120 people, including kids and youth, in firing by security forces on protesters in 2010.

On Wednesday, Omar said that the Army's opposition to AFSPA revocation continued despite a considerable support from the Centre. "It is no secret that various quarters of the government of India have extended considerable support to the J&K government in this regard. But, unfortunately, the Army is reluctant to even consider partial revocation of the AFSPA from some parts of the state."

He even rejected the Army's figures on the cross-border infiltration. "We are not willing to accept the figures given by the Army headquarters as they are on higher side than the information gathered at the local level. We believe the number is less but I cannot share the exact number," he said. "There has been a discrepancy in the numbers provided by the police, Army and Army headquarters to the multi agency center."